Cityscape

Restaurants come and go all the time in New York City. But Neary's, located in the Turtle Bay area of Manhattan, has stood the test of time. The classic Irish pub has been around for more than 50 years, and has served everyone from astronauts to presidents. 

On this week's Cityscape, Julia Seebode interviews Irish immigrant and restaurant owner, Jimmy Neary. Jimmy shares his American Dream story - one that began a long time ago in County Sligo, Ireland.

Believe it or not, tattooing as we know it today has only been legal in New York City since 1997.

On this week's Cityscape, we're delving into the past and present of tattoo culture in New York City.

When you look up the definition of masculinity, you get a short, simple definition -- “possession of the qualities traditionally associated with men.” But, what does that really mean? Author and journalist Thomas Page McBee works to answer that question in his new book Amateur- A True Story About What Makes a Man. The book follows McBee, a trans man, as he trains to fight in a charity boxing match at Madison Square Garden while struggling to untangle the relationship between masculinity and violence. Through his boxing training, McBee examines the weight of male violence, the pervasiveness of gender stereotypes, and the limitations of conventional manhood. McBee is our guest on this week’s Cityscape.

Some historians travel far and wide to uncover the fascinating stories that our ancestors have left behind. But, for author Richard Panchyk, the fascinating stories he wanted to share weren’t so far at all. A proud native of Elmhurst, Queens, Panchyk had always been interested in the borough he called home. On this week's Cityscape, we talk with Richard about his new book, Hidden History of Queens. Richard discovered many complex narratives that still run through the veins of his beloved borough. He shares that many authentic structures and locations are eager to share their rich stories, if you’re willing to take a deeper look. From rare Newtown Pippin apples to old Revolutionary War buildings, we learn that Queens has a lot to reveal about the people who once inhabited New York City’s largest borough.

The date September 11 will forever evoke recollections of unimaginable tragedy. Nearly 3,000 people died in the terrorist attacks on that date in 2001. Psychotherapist Edy Nathan was called upon on 9/11 to tend to the emotional well-being of first responders at the site of the terrorist attacks in Lower Manhattan, known at the time as ground zero. Edy joins us on this week's Cityscape to talk about the grief and trauma of 9/11 and how that reverberates in our lives 17 years later. Her newly published book is called It’s Grief: The Dance of Self-Discovery Through Trauma and Loss.

Labor Day weekend is upon us and for a lot of people you know what that means – barbecues with enough food to make your belt buckle burst. Our guest this week knows the struggles of maintaining a healthy waist size all too well. It took Mary Prenon 19 years to achieve her goal of losing 50 pounds. Mary is a former journalist. She now works as the communications director for a Realtor association in New York’s Hudson Valley. Mary has penned a book about her weight loss journey. It’s called I’m Lazy and I Love to Eat.

In a city like New York, you can't walk an inch without encountering one of these -- a bold little feathered creature that'll either stare you down or snatch a piece of the bagel you dropped. On this week's Cityscape, why pigeons deserve more than to be called rats with wings.

At major league baseball games, there are lots of opportunities to interact with the high-energy action. Cheering, doing the wave, getting on the jumbotron, and attempting to catch foul balls have become the standard for fans across the country. New York City resident Zack Hample has made a name for himself as a ball catching phenomenon. Since the age of 12, Zack has accumulated over 10,000 baseballs from major league games in North America. His ball collection not only exceeds that of any other baseball fan in history, but it celebrates many prominent baseball moments. He caught the Mets’ last home run at Shea Stadium in 2008, Alex Rodriguez’s 3,000th career hit in 2015, and Zack snagged the Reds infielder Alex Blandino’s first career home run in May of this year. We caught up with Zack in Riverside Park to learn more about how his childhood hobby of catching foul balls grew to become the famed career he holds today.

Harlem, like most New York City neighborhoods, has seen a lot of change in the last few decades. Burned-out buildings and vacant lots have given way to luxury developments and trendy eateries. But, a new book affords viewers a look at Harlem before the effects of gentrification. It’s called Once in Harlem, and is the work of Japanese-American photographer, Katsu Naito. Katsu is our guest on this week's Cityscape.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, a Bronx filmmaker is working to shine a spotlight on her native Puerto Rico. Known for her stop-motion work, Alba Garcia has turned to live puppetry to focus in on Puerto Rico’s indigenous past. Her upcoming film seeks to revive Taino culture, and create awareness of the devastating impact Hurricane Maria has had on Puerto Rico. Alba Garcia is our guest on this week's Cityscape.